Civil and Administrative Tribunal for Parramatta

Civil and Administrative Tribunal for Parramatta

Parramatta will host regular sittings of the state’s new "super tribunal" the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), Attorney General Greg Smith SC announced today.

“From June 30, the NCAT will sit at Parramatta three days a week after securing a hearing room in the Commonwealth Law Courts building,” Mr Smith said.

“This is great news for western Sydney and consolidates Parramatta’s position as the state’s largest legal hub outside of Sydney’s CBD.”

“It follows confirmation that the Court of Criminal Appeal will sit in Parramatta for two weeks in July and August, with the Chief Justice of NSW Tom Bathurst to be among the judges presiding over the hearings.”

“Chief Justice Bathurst has also agreed to examine the possibility of regular Supreme Court sittings in Parramatta and is awaiting a formal proposal from the local legal profession.”

NCAT began operating on January 2 and has conducted more than 28,000 hearings in its first 100 days.

It is a one stop shop for specialist tribunal services in NSW, dealing with a diverse range of matters including tenancy disputes, consumer complaints, professional disciplinary hearings and applications for guardianship.

“While the old Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal sat in Parramatta until early 2012, many of the tribunals that have joined NCAT have never conducted regular hearings in Sydney’s west,” Mr Smith said.

“NCAT will provide the people of Western Sydney with quick and cost effective access to justice.”

“Tribunal proceedings are typically less formal than a traditional court hearing and often achieve earlier resolutions.”

It is anticipated that up to 40 matters could be listed on each hearing day in Parramatta.